Jaagte Raho

Jaagte raho is the national cry of night watchmen in India. It has been historically associated with them; whenever the night watchmen would go out on their rounds, they will shout Jaagte Raho as they move along.

When I was young, I was told that the watchmen shout Jaagte Raho not to wake up the people whose property they are supposed to protect. No, but they shout Jaagte Raho so as to stay awake themselves.

This was told as a metaphor for inviting others to do good deeds. A person should invite others to do good, and speak about doing good. Because by telling others to come to good, we ourselves will get inspired to be good. Just like a night watchman invites others to be awake and to keep vigil, but the purpose of that is to be awake himself.

It was a motivating thought. It inspired me to talk to other about doing good things even when I myself would not be translating those same words into actions. Jaagte Raho, I would say to others. And hope, that in some way, it would inspire me to be awake and aware about my own wrong actions too.

Now the other day, I noticed that the watchmen in our colony do not shout Jaagte Rho. Instead, they carry a steel rod and they bang it on the ground as they move. The shrill sound that the rod makes can serve the same purpose as a shout from the lungs, but I also realized that there is a difference of purpose.

Suppose there was an intruder in a house, or someone trying to steal the tires from another’s car. He would become wary of the watchmen’s approach from afar due to the cry they make when they move about. So the purpose of that stick is to make a sound, so that whoever is up to some mischief will become wary of the watchmen’s approach and will leave that which they are doing. This way, the watchmen would not have to get into a confrontation, and the property would be safe too.

Think about it. Watchmen are not policemen. They only keep an eye out. And logically, they would want to keep out of any direct confrontation.

And that is the reason that they shout Jaagte Raho. To scare away miscreants by warning the miscreants of their approach. And to avoid a direct confrontation with them. It is not so as to keep themselves awake.

My whole life is a lie.